The disclosures herein relate generally to seating assist apparatus, and more particularly to seating assist apparatus adapted for use with a standard commercially available toilet.
A seating assist apparatus, including a toilet seating assist apparatus, aids a person in lowering himself or herself to a seated position and rising from the seated position. Some types of seating assist apparatus use electrical, hydraulic or mechanical means for lowering the person to and raising the person from the seated position. Other types of seating assist apparatus are stationary in use and provide the person with a structural support for aiding the person to lower himself or herself to the seated position and rise from the seated position.
Seating assist apparatuses having conventional construction and utility suffer from one or more limitations. Seating assist apparatuses having conventional construction and utility are referred to herein as conventional seating assist apparatuses. Examples of limitations associated with conventional seating assist apparatuses include, but are not limited to, having a complex construction, being expensive to manufacture, being cumbersome to operate, being incompatible with standard commercially-available toilets, and being immovably mounted. These limitations reduce the effectiveness and practicality of conventional seating assist apparatuses.
Accordingly, a seating assist apparatus that overcomes these limitations is useful.
One embodiment of a retractable toilet seating assist apparatus includes across member, two side members and two support members. The cross member includes a mounting bracket capable of being attached to a toilet and has opposing ends. The side members are attached to the cross member. Each one of the side members is attached at a first end thereof to a respective one of the ends of the cross member. The side members are movable with respect to the mounting bracket between respective use positions and respective retracted positions. Each one of the support members includes opposing ends and is attached between the ends thereof to a corresponding one of the side members at a second end of the corresponding one of the side members. Each one of the support members includes a hand support portion at a first one of the ends of the support members. Each one of the support members are movably attached to a corresponding one of the side members for enabling the support members to be moved between respective use positions and respective retracted positions.